I went to the grocery store the other day with my son and couldn’t help but notice that prices had gone up. (Cue my middle-age insecurities about telling my son some version of, “When I was your age, ice cream only cost a nickel!" Just kidding.) But rising costs are no joke -- the price increases on everything from gas prices to heating our homes is putting the squeeze on too many family budgets, especially for low-income folks.
The cure for what is hurting us economically is the same solution for addressing climate change: the Build Back Better Act. This plan to create jobs, curb the climate crisis, and tackle systemic injustices is exactly what’s needed to help our struggling families pay the bills.
The Build Back Better Act will help the average person save money on essential expenses in almost every aspect of life:
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Healthcare
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Prescription drugs
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Child care
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Elder care
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Preschool
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Utility bills
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Transportation
One study shows that just four social investments in the Build Back Better Act will save the average family at least $7,400 per year -- or $15,000 for a single-parent household.
The energy efficiency and clean energy investments would save the average household $500 annually on their utility bills, and make it $8,000 cheaper to weatherize your home to reduce energy costs and pollution. (I love energy efficiency so much! Meet me in a bar sometime and get me talking about the climate and economic impacts of home weatherization -- you will be bored, I promise.) The Build Back Better Act will cut the price of an electric vehicle by up to $12,500. It will also make public buses and trains cleaner, more frequent, and more accessible to affordable housing residents.
And there are dozens of other benefits beyond the climate programs, like price caps on prescription drugs – including a $35 cap on insulin – and policies that will lower the cost of major expenses like childcare, health care, and preschool.
It's time for the Senate to pass the Build Back Better Act. Now. No more waiting. No more allowing corporate polluters and their allies in Congress to gut key programs that'll help communities across the nation. As prices rise, families need the cost savings this historic bill will provide.
Together we can show the Senate that there is truly a movement behind this historic bill and that the American people want this done.
Our communities and our climate cannot wait any longer. Let's get the Build Back Better passed now!